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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24115228">Tender Love, Chicken Tender</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs'>baeconandeggs</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/gummybear_pcy/pseuds/gummybear_pcy'>gummybear_pcy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Angst, Romance, Very Very Mild Infidelity, Very Very Mild non-con, poor attempt at humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:40:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,888</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24115228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gummybear_pcy/pseuds/gummybear_pcy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Baekhyun is a spoiled rich boy who has taken his privilege for granted one too many times. As a way to try to get him back on track, his parents send him to a farm to learn what hard work really means. There, he meets earnest farm boy Chanyeol, who teaches him more about life than he had ever expected.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, Sòng Qiàn | Victoria/Wu Yi Fan | Kris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>452</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>BAE2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tender Love, Chicken Tender</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/masaringo/gifts">masaringo</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>Recipient:</b>masaringo<br/><span class="small"><b>Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.</b> The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.</span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><b>Author's Note:</b> Y'all, I may have gotten a little too excited and steered away (just a teeny bit, I promise! Huhu) from the prompter's original idea. (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵) </p><p>But, I had fun writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it too. This is my first time writing a fic and English is not my first language. So, please be kind in the comments. UwU<br/>I'm sensitive, okay? ( ˙꒳˙ )</p><p>I'm super soft for Chanyeol as you'll notice in the fic. And my humor is kinda lame, but I hope you enjoy.</p><p>P:S: Big thanks to the prompter and the beta reader for making this fic happen!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dropping the duffel bag on the ground, Baekhyun looked at the huge farmhouse in front of him. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. He saw cows grazing nearby, horses running about and chickens clucking. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Disgusting</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took out his phone to click a picture of the place. He cursed almost immediately seeing the archaic Nokia phone in the palm of his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nice one, Jongdae. I hope you choke on a dick and die, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun was many things – rich, sassy, and spoiled. Granted, his birthday party was extravagant; but he had no plans to blow up his villa. He was too drunk to remember anything that had happened on that particular night. His best friend Jongdae wasn’t much of a help either. Someone found him passed out in the middle of the road the next morning too wasted to even move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun liked everything grandiose. The more extravagant, the better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Consequently, Baekhyun’s parents decided to ship him off to a countryside in Korea with a duffel bag holding bare minimum necessities. And a flip phone, courtesy of Jongdae. That fucker looked way too blissful while sending Baekhyun off at the airport.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there! Can I help you?” a smooth voice pulled Baekhyun out of his thoughts. His eyes met a pair of beautiful brown orbs, smooth tanned skin, and legs for days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Baekhyun from L.A. I’m surprised nobody came to pick me up from the airport today. The transportation here sucks!” Baekhyun said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…”, the guy looked flabbergasted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m guessing you’re the rich, spoiled brat Mr. Kim was talking about then”, a petite man with wide doe eyes commented making his way over to the men.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Kyungsoo. I’m the administrative manager here. I’ve been informed of your arrival”, he added, face devoid of any expressions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t sound too thrilled, short stuff. Didn’t my father pay you well to assist me?”, Baekhyun asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You call me “short stuff” one more time, I’ll rip your tongue out and feed it to the cows!” Kyungsoo fumed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure you’re fired, effective immediately,” Baekhyun retorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “You piece of shi- “, Kyungsoo charged at Baekhyun but the tall guy held him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not now, Soo”, he soothed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JUNMYEON HYUNG!!!” Kyungsoo yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door of the farmhouse flew open and a man – a rather good looking one at that- stepped out and walked towards the small group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello! You must be Baekhyun. I just got off the phone with your father. I’m Junmyeon. This is my property by the way and welcome!” he said warmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. Can we go inside now? It’s fucking hot here,” Baekhyun complained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, come on. This way,” Junmyeon said beckoning him inside the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After some tea and biscuits, Junmyeon gave Baekhyun a tour of the place and introduced him to Jongin, the tall Adonis-like guy, Kyungsoo (who kept rolling his eyes at Baekhyun’s remarks) and Lay, the stable manager.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s your work schedule”, Junmyeon said handing over a booklet to Baekhyun. “You’re expected to wake up at 4 a.m. every day. It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain this place. So, I hope you fall in line with our pace soon”, he added smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing,” Baekhyun said pulling a fake smile, roughly flipping through the pages.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s one more person I’d like you to meet. Park Chanyeol. He’s my business partner but it looks like he’s out for some work. I’ll introduce you to him later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Park Chanyeol. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Baekhyun repeated the name in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun plopped onto the bed as soon as he entered his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What am I doing in this god-awful place again?” he wondered aloud. It had hardly been a day and he was already missing his friends and the high life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sooner I pretend to learn, the faster I get to leave this place for good”. The 28-year-old wasn’t the one who’d wiggle out of difficult situations, since he knew that putting up a fuss was only going to make things harder for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch me get out of this hellhole in a month! And nothing, absolutely nothing’s going to hold me back,” he smirked. Soon, exhaustion took over and the brunette fell into a deep slumber.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was 4 a.m. and the door to Baekhyun’s room opened. A pair of legs padded their way over to his bed and a small, but deep voice softly called his name, “Baekhyun? Wake up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“B-Baekhyun?” the voice tried again. The figure loomed over to Baekhyun’s face and called once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun slowly blinked his eyes open and saw a pair of big brown eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pretty, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His blurry vision moved down to pink plump lips. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lovely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And the next second, he grabbed the person’s neck and pulled him down to his bed. His hazy mind registered the shocked, beautiful face and began kissing his soft lips. The kiss was met with harsh protests, but Baekhyun responded with equal force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow! WHAT THE FUCK?!” Baekhyun yelled in pain when he felt teeth bite into his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The person quickly scurried away from the bed and bolted out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that Baekhyun was </span>
  <em>
    <span>literally</span>
  </em>
  <span> bitten back to his senses he realized he was in the farmhouse. He winced in pain but wondered about the unfortunate soul who got traumatized by his horny ass first thing in the morning. His lips weren’t bleeding but it certainly hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you not to send Chanyeol to wake him up!”, Baekhyun heard hushed whispers while walking to the kitchen. “That asshole needs to be woken up with a bucket of ice-cold water instead”.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, that’s definitely the short stuff, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, ladies!”, Baekhyun greeted, sliding into a seat by the kitchen counter. He was fixing his breakfast when Kyungsoo screeched, “That’s it! He needs to be gone, this instant!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What now?”, Jongin asked, rolling his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beakhyun raised his eyebrows, puzzled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who in the world adds milk into the bowl first? I refuse to have breakfast on the same table as this uncultured swine!” Kyungsoo said, offended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you buy this bowl?”, Baekhyun asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who the fuck cares?!” Kyungsoo shrieked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Answer me, princess. Did you buy this bowl?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The bag of cereal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You must have definitely milked the cow, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, dude!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why do you care what I do with my breakfast?”, Baekhyun challenged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- ugh!” Kyungsoo looked like he was about to explode and waddled out of the kitchen like an angry penguin, with Jongin in tow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun snickered at successfully pissing Kyungsoo off. He was wolfing down the cereal when he heard a soft rustle behind him. He turned around and saw the softest looking human Baekhyun had laid his eyes on, in his entire life. His heart UwUed at an alarming speed. This boy was tall, wearing an oversized purple hoodie with sweater paws, black shorts, and had silky fluffy black hair. The shorter of the two recognized those plump lips and big brown eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, aren’t you the one who bit me in the morning?”, Baekhyun asked, genuinely curious. The stranger looked like a deer caught in headlights and tried to move past Baekhyun. But he wouldn’t have it. He blocked the tall boy from moving about at all. The former tried to move to the left, but Baekhyun blocked him. Then right, blocked again. The tall one’s cheeks were growing redder by the minute and Baekhyun was very, very mesmerized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose you’ve met Chanyeol, Baekhyun”, Junmyeon said walking into the kitchen looking amused at the exchange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is this the guy you were talking about?”, Baekhyun asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Junmyeon said smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see. Well, he woke me up good this morning”, Baekhyun commented looking sideways at the fidgeting Chanyeol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t get to introduce myself properly. I’m Baekhyun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m Chanyeol,” the tall one said twiddling with his fingers looking everywhere else but Baekhyun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chanyeol will help you get used to the chores around here for a few days. Let me know if you need any help otherwise. Oh, look at the time! I should get going now,” Junmyeon said looking at his watch. “Good luck, Baekhyun!”, he added, patting his shoulders for good measure and left. Baekhyun appreciated the guy. He had been a good host so far and Baekhyun had no intention of ruining anything between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun simply nodded in return and turned his attention back to the shy human before him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol gestured to the front door and urged Baekhyun to follow him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is going to be fun.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun almost pumped his fist in the air at finding his first prey at the farmhouse. Chanyeol guided Baekhyun on how to stack up hays, feed the horses, collect eggs from the chicken coop, wash the cows and worst of all, clean up their manure. Baekhyun controlled the urge to gag at the strong smell of the cowpats. But Chanyeol was a patient guy. He explained the work and even demonstrated them to help Baekhyun get the hang of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Baekhyun found all the more reasons to fluster the poor guy by </span>
  <em>
    <span>accidentally </span>
  </em>
  <span>brushing his fingers against him when he got the chance or standing too close while Chanyeol talked or boldly checking him out, leaving the giant a blushing mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to stop whatever you’re doing,” Chanyeol sighed in defeat after placing the last box of supplies in the storeroom. The place was located behind the barn and the only source of light was a couple of sunrays streaming through holes on the roof. Baekhyun knew Chanyeol had beautiful eyes but the sunlight made them sparkle. He was losing his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you mean,” Baekhyun shrugged. He knew exactly what Chanyeol was talking about because he wasn’t exactly subtle with his advances. But he wanted to see where the conversation was going to take them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you know… staring at me and touching me. I don’t like it,” Chanyeol huffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not?” Baekhyun asked edging closer to the boy, cornering him against the wall. Chanyeol smelled like fresh flowers, way better than the Chanel or Aqua di Parma colognes he owned in his prized possession.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun didn’t want to scare the poor thing but he was having too much fun to stop what he was doing. Testing the waters, Baekhyun moved closer, placing his right hand against the wall, trapping Chanyeol within the little space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun was dying to kiss those pink lips again. So, he went for it. Wrong move. Because this time, he got kneed in the balls. Baekhyun keeled and tried to soothe the raging pain shooting up his part.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is fucking wrong with you?! Do you think I’m easy? You think anyone is gonna bend over for you just because you’re rich?” Chanyeol was close to tears and it broke Baekhyun’s heart to know he was the reason behind it. Baekhyun always had it easy – boy or girl – no one could resist him. What Baekhyun wanted, Baekhyun got. But why was he drowning in guilt now?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, you haven’t even apologized to me for what happened this morning. But I let it go because you’re new here and it might have been a mistake,” Chanyeol admitted almost sobbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun wanted to slap himself. He may have been a little too quick with Chanyeol. In his defense, he never imagined he would get turned down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If this happens again, I’ll sue you!” Chanyeol yelled like an angry puppy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun cracked up at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This enraged Chanyeol even more. “Is this funny to you, Baekhyun?! I never wanna see you again!” he bellowed and stormed off before Baekhyun could even apologize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No more than ten minutes later, Kyungsoo barged in and grabbed Baekhyun by the collar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do to Chanyeol?” he asked looking at Baekhyun dead in the eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, it’s all a misunderstanding. I was just playing around, dude. I mean no harm,” Baekhyun said, hands held up in defeat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can play around as much as you want when you go running back to your rich, stuck up folks. Here, you follow rules, respect personal space. Am I clear?” Kyungsoo emphasized every single word like it was his last warning. Baekhyun nodded weakly. He didn’t want to stir up a storm now. And with that, Kyungsoo left. Baekhyun felt weird and uncomfortable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He barely saw Chanyeol since that day. Everyone else seemed to mind their own business, so when he was not working, he stayed cooped up in his room sleeping. He almost bumped into Chanyeol one day but Kyungsoo, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>That little spawn of Satan’</span>
  </em>
  <span> dragged him away before Baekhyun could even form a sentence. Jongin spoke to Baekhyun from time to time. Lay sent kind smiles to him every day and Junmyeon checked up on him often. But that was it. Life was boring as fuck and Baekhyun was growing impatient by the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until one day, “I’m fucking done!” the brunette scooped up the last bit of horse manure and flung it across the stable. His chest was heaving up and down from fatigue and anger. The day was scorching hot and his pent-up anger skyrocketed at lightning speed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fucking miserable life! Fuck the farmers, fuck the cows, fuck the chickens, fuck the horses, FUCK EVERYTHING!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span> ~Plop ̴~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> Baekhyun slipped and fell face-first on the manure. “WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK! EWWWWWW! EUGH!” he screamed, flailing his arms in the air like a stubborn toddler.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I HATE THIS FUCKING PLACE!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard Kyungsoo cackling nearby. Infuriated by humiliation, Baekhyun stomped off the yard and out of the farm. He had no idea where he was going but at that moment, he wanted to get away from the farmhouse, the animals, and its people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun walked for a straight twenty minutes until his body began giving out under the heat. He saw a small flower shop ahead and decided to seek temporary asylum there. Chances were, he’d get kicked out for dilly-dallying, but he didn’t care. He stepped into the shop. It was a modest space with a wide assortment of flowers. Baekhyun suddenly missed home because his mom used to place fresh flowers in his room every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yellow tulips indicate that you’re hopelessly in love,” a voice said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun scoffed at the comment and looked at the direction of the voice. “I’m not hopeless- ” his voice died at his throat, eyes wide with recognition.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sehun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pale-faced boy mirrored his shocked expression, almost dropping whatever he was holding in his hand. Next thing he knew, he had an arm full of Oh Sehun. He pulled back from the hug and looked at his best friend. Relief washed over him, seeing the familiar face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun and Sehun grew up together. While Baekhyun enjoyed luxury, Sehun preferred modest living despite being born to multimillionaire parents. Life took a different turn when Luhan, Sehun’s longtime boyfriend was caught cheating with his sister. The episode affected Sehun much more than he had anticipated. He developed an aversion for the high life and the people he was surrounded by. This drove him to move to South Korea, back to his grandparents. Although he had promised Baekhyun daily Skype sessions and frequent WhatsApp calls, Sehun vanished just as he left the country. Baekhyun never heard from him again. He tried to hunt him down through his sources but failed to get any leads. Eventually he gave up and pushed the memories of his best friend inside the deepest corners of his heart. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun regained his composure, cleared his throat and questioned, “Do I know you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun didn’t look fazed at all. He knew Baekhyun since childhood. Hence, he expected nothing less than the latter’s stubborn self.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You stink by the way. Aaaand, you look like shit,” Sehun said after scanning Baekhyun from head to toe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun rolled his eyes, “Because I’m covered in shit, thank you very much!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun cackled at that. Never in his life did he imagine Baekhyun in the countryside smeared in mud and shit. It was flabbergasting to see the boy who once walked and breathed luxury looking so miserable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did your parents finally disown you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not, you idiot. I’m here on a mission. Can’t reveal any details, it’s classified information.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of mission? To solve the mysterious case of missing chickens?” Sehun was having none of it. He knew was a decent explanation behind Baekhyun’s sudden appearance in the countryside. Sehun pulled up two chairs and sat Baekhyun down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now cut the crap and tell me everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun took a deep breath and began his story.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the end of it, Sehun was convinced that Baekhyun deserved the exile. I mean, how did he manage to blow up a villa?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what Baek? You deserve this. I knew you were too spoiled for your own good. Time to learn some hard work.” Sehun remarked shaking his head. No less than a second later, Baekhyun tackled him to the ground poking his sides and tickling until Sehun was gasping for air. They broke apart when they heard someone knock at the door. It was Kim Jongin who looked confused and lowkey annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Jongin! Are you here for the lilies?” Sehun looked up at him smiling without noticing the awkward atmosphere. Jongin nodded wordlessly. Sehun got back up, patted the back of his trousers before heading inside the store to grab the flowers. Baekhyun was yet to catch up on the situation. He must have looked dreadful with his hair messed up and his oversized t-shirt hanging over his shoulder after his little scuffle with Sehun. The usually pleasant Jongin looked like he was ‘bout to whoop his ass.</span>
</p><p><em><span>Why does everyone look like they wanna beat me up?</span></em> <em><span>I must look like a very tempting punching bag. </span></em><span>Baekhyun growled internally.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Do you know anything besides assaulting people?” Jongin said, his tone grim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did nothing of such sort. He started it anyway,” Baekhyun responded, clearly miffed at being wrongly accused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look Baekhyun, I don’t know what your deal is, but Sehun is a good person. Leave him alone,” he warned and stormed out of the store. Sehun walked in a few minutes later and found Baekhyun still on the floor, hands on his chin looking deep in thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, where’s Jongin?” Sehun asked looking around the store for the tall guy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, </span>
  <em>
    <span>just maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Jongin might have a crush on you?” Baekhyun mused eyes glued at the storefront.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…no? We’ve known each other for a few years now, Baekhyun. He doesn’t have a crush on me,” Sehun dismissed his thoughts. “Also, stop harassing Yeollie. He’s a sweet guy. He’s not one of your play toys, Baekhyun” he added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeollie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah. Park Chanyeol.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He hates me. You know me, Sehun. I didn’t mean to offend him. He just looked really cute and cuddly. I just wanted to play.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I just say, Baekhyun? Yeollie is not a toy. I swear to God, if you hurt him, I’ll feed you to the chickens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, Mister. You consider this-” gesturing to himself “- a million-dollar sugar daddy, a lowly chicken food?” Baekhyun said, mock offended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun stared at him dumbstruck and broke into a smile. He looked at Baekhyun fondly and said “You haven’t changed one bit. I’ve really missed you”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I didn’t. You broke all our promises, Sehun. You cut me off for good!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Baek. I just really needed some space and wasn’t ready to talk to anyone. My grandparents helped me set up this shop here and it was a new beginning. By the time I was ready to reach out to you, I got cold feet. I was worried if you’d ever want to talk to me again after what I did. So, I left it hanging hoping for something to happen that will lead me to you someday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It would’ve taken you less than 10 seconds to get me back instead of this sad excuse.” Baekhyun understood why Sehun did it all, even before he offered an explanation but Baekhyun was all alone after Sehun left since he was the only real friend he ever had. Naturally, he felt betrayed and disappointed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun’s eyes furrowed and lips formed a sad pout – something that he did whenever he was genuinely upset. Baekhyun sighed. He couldn’t stay mad at Sehun for long. He walked over to him and wrapped the younger into a hug. “I’m sorry. I was just upset, Sehun,” then looked at him “But you know what? I’m glad I found you here,” and pecked him in the cheek. Sehun giggled but didn’t push him away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things started getting better for Baekhyun now that he had found Sehun. He would finish up his chores at the farm and spend the rest of the day with Sehun. The latter didn’t mind his company as long as he was making himself useful at the store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One day, on his way back to the farmhouse, Baekhyun saw Chanyeol struggling with a few boxes. He decided to help. Upon seeing Baekhyun, Chanyeol’s eyes went wide and hurried towards his car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait! Let me help you!” Baekhyun called out trying to catch up with the taller.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn you, short legs!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Baekhyun chided himself. He hadn’t seen Chanyeol in so long, he wanted to make it up to him and apologize sincerely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need any help. I’m alright,” Chanyeol quickly placed the boxes in the trunk of his car and slammed it shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry for what I did, Chanyeol. I admit I was at fault. I just wanna get along, okay?” Baekhyun tried his best to sound convincing. Chanyeol didn’t seem like he was in the mood to listen to Baekhyun talk so he brushed past the shorter man. Baekhyun followed him and apologized again. Finally, Baekhyun’s patience ran out and grabbed the tall one by his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop touching me!” Chanyeol yelled, withdrawing his hand with full force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gosh! Calm down, princess. I’ve apologized countless times already. What’s irking you, still?” Baekhyun had enough of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired of rich people like you. Stay away from me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s with you and your constant nagging about “rich people”? You know what? I don’t fucking care. I knew I was too nice for you country bumpkins here. Go run after chickens or clean the stables for all I care!” Baekhyun spat back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’ll do just that! At least, they’re respectful creatures, unlike creepy pedophiles like you!” Chanyeol was shouting at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“P-pedophile?” Baekhyun was losing it. “Ha! I wouldn’t look even look at your way even if I were paid a million dollars!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you already did and even dared to kiss me, you ugly mushroom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and now I’m more heterosexual than ever before after kissing your fat lips, you giant oaf!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol looked like he was smacked in the face. His lips trembled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sniff</span>
  </em>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh God, not again! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Baekhyun whined. Chanyeol ran away without another word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun couldn’t sleep that night. He was certain he hadn’t caught any feelings for Chanyeol. He was Byun Baekhyun. He didn’t do feelings. But Chanyeol reminded him of a small puppy and what would you do if you see a small puppy hurt? You would feel this uncontrollable urge to protect the fluff. But this one was a fierce puppy and just as sensitive. Baekhyun felt lost trying to conjure ideas to handle the situation. He sighed dejectedly and began counting sheep in his head. By the 45</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> sheep, he fell asleep. The farm life was really growing onto him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jongin did not stop giving him the cold shoulder, which according to Baekhyun was unfair. So, he decided to confront the guy about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jongin, I don’t like this passive-aggressive behavior. If I’ve done something wrong, say it to my face,” Baekhyun was tired of being ignored and hated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing wrong,” Jongin said scornfully but not meeting his eyes whatsoever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you like Sehun,” which got his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jongin spun around astonished, “W-what are you saying? I-I don’t –“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Save your breath, Jongin. You can’t lie to me,” Baekhyun had noticed how Jongin looked smitten whenever Sehun was around. Baekhyun was surprised at how Sehun hadn’t noticed it sooner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like Sehun. Not romantically at least. We grew up together in L.A, but he moved to Korea later. Yesterday was the first time I met him after 5 years. Moreover, he’s like a brother to me,” Baekhyun didn’t see the need to give away many details about their past so he stuck to basic information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jongin looked relieved somehow but didn’t utter a word for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you guys are just friends then?” Jongin asked cautiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep! You should make the first move, you know? That bloke has no clue that you’re crushing on him,” Jongin blushed at that. Baekhyun hoped that at least Jongin would be willing to talk to him after that conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And talk, he did. Jongin wouldn’t stop asking questions about Sehun- his favorite color, food and everything under the sun. Baekhyun was happy to help because he wanted to see Sehun happy. Baekhyun liked Jongin and shipped them very much. If he had to play cupid, cupid he was going to be!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By now, Baekhyun was warming up to the animals. Whenever there was no one else to talk to, he’d spend hours rambling to the horses and cows. They didn’t seem to mind. During one such therapy session with his favorite cow Moo, he saw a fancy car pull up on the driveway. A tall, blonde guy stepped out and walked into Junmyeon’s office. It’d been a while since Baekhyun last saw a luxury car, so he skipped over to the vehicle to take a closer look. While checking out the car, he saw Chanyeol with a basket of eggs through the reflection. Baekhyun wanted to say hi, but didn’t want to cause the giant baby any stress or even upset him. Chanyeol stopped right in front of the car and looked at Baekhyun with raised eyebrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How does he manage to look adorable every single day? I can’t even bring myself to hate him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Baekhyun decided not to say anything and continued examining the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Chanyeol! What’s up, my dude?” the blonde guy returned and greeted Chanyeol with a side hug. Chanyeol looked like he was about to combust. His face became scarlet red but managed to return the hug anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My little sunshine!” the new guy said ruffling Chanyeol’s hair. He responded with a dazzling smile, showing his pearly white teeth which almost blinded Baekhyun in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Illegal. I must arrest him and make him mine.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then he remembered how Sehun (and everyone else) had warned him to stay away from Chanyeol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly realization dawned on Baekhyun.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait a minute! Don’t tell me he likes this blondie</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Baekhyun panicked. But why was he worried? Why was it bothering him? Baekhyun wanted to pull his hair out in frustration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m Kris. I suppose, you must be Baekhyun?” the blondie turned to Baekhyun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh..yeah, how do you know?” Baekhyun didn’t remember introducing himself before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Junmyeon told me about the new apprentice. Besides, you’re the only new face around here,” Kris replied. Baekhyun felt jealousy filling his system upon seeing Chanyeol wagging his imaginary tail like a love-sick puppy at Kris. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun settled for a smile in return. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After chatting for a while, Kris took off, leaving Chanyeol and Baekhyun behind. Chanyeol gave him a small smile. Perhaps, Baekhyun was imagining things. All Baekhyun wanted to do was cuddle him and shower him with kisses. He didn’t know if the feelings were real or not, but he strongly felt the need to protect the taller one. Disheartened, he turned around to leave. He may have seen the big puppy’s smile falter a little but Baekhyun didn’t waste time to think. He was afraid he might say or do something to jump him. He didn’t want to make it worse than it already was.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Will Chanyeol and I ever get a chance to have a decent conversation? Sigh. Maybe it’s for the best. I won’t be here for long anyway.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He yawned, thinking to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun had seen Chanyeol working hard on the farm, day and night. He really appreciated the boy, he deserved everything. He knew that a casual direct interaction with Chanyeol would be close to impossible. So, he dropped his care for him in the form of towels and water bottles whenever he saw Chanyeol toiling on the farm. Of course, without the other’s knowledge. It felt like high school all over again. Admiring a crush from afar. Chanyeol didn’t suspect a thing and was often overheard thanking Jongin for taking care of him, much to the latter’s bewilderment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun wasn’t faring well. He was developing this terrible physical response upon seeing Chanyeol called the “cute aggression”. Sometimes, he wanted to squeeze his face or poke his soft round cheeks and other times bite him. Chanyeol’s life was in grave danger. Baekhyun’s self-restraint was on the brink of snapping, so he decided to do something to calm his aggression. Since he couldn’t talk or touch Chanyeol, he did the next best thing he could think of. Throwing little pebbles at the boy. He made sure they weren’t hurtful, but kept popping one at his shoulder, sometimes his bum or hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One time, Chanyeol screamed “IT’S RAINING PEBBLES, JUNMYEON HYUUUUUNG! WE’RE ALL GONNA DIEEEEEE!” and scampered into the farmhouse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun stopped throwing pebbles at him from that day on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun took out all that oppressed aggression at Sehun. Sehun didn’t mind but Jongin definitely gave him the stink eye. He even dropped a lizard inside his shirt for revenge. Baekhyun’s scream was heard miles away, sending the animals on the farm in a frenzy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the annual harvest festival in two days. You must’ve already noticed from all the over-the-top decorations on the street. The whole village comes together to celebrate. It’s really nice,” Sehun told Baekhyun while they were having their afternoon tea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Good for me. I’m gonna sleep in, then.” Baekhyun hadn’t had a day off since the festival preps began. Besides he wasn’t keen on socializing with farmers, he was seeing enough of them at the farmhouse anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, don’t be a killjoy. It’s gonna be fun, I swear! Aaaand, you get to bring a date!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sehun, people hate me here. And the one guy I like is shit scared of me,” Baekhyun would’ve totally asked Chanyeol out. But he was in a pickle. One, Chanyeol doesn’t like him, calls him a creepy pedophile even; second, Chanyeol already had his eyes on the blondie. No way in heavens was Baekhyun close to Chanyeol’s field of vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll warm up to you, Baekhyun. You guys haven’t had enough chances to get to know each other well,” Sehun tried to reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well how can I even say hello when he refuses to look at me? And I don’t even know how but Kyungsoo always has something with him, ready to stab me if I even look at Chanyeol’s way. That twerp had a pitchfork yesterday. I’m worried for my life, Sehun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun had no answer for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you? Have you asked anyone yet?” Baekhyun probed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I thought I’d go with you,” Sehun replied finishing his cup of tea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, please no. I love you, darling but not enough to lose my sleep for you,” Baekhyun joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, I hope the bed bugs bite you for ditching your best friend,” Sehun huffed and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun was ready to play cupid. This is his chance to let his JongHun ship sail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found Jongin on his way to the kitchen. “Sehun doesn’t have a date for the festival yet” Baekhyun shared the piece of information with a knowing smile. Jongin’s eyes lit up at that and nodded in understanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun felt happy at being a successful cupid. While climbing up the stairs to his bedroom he heard someone singing from the room across the hall. It was a deep and mellow voice; Baekhyun found it funny because this person was jamming to Normani’s Motivation.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You got that good good, baby, don't you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Got that good good, baby, don't you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But you leavin' solo</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ain't regular, that ain't regular</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The door was slightly ajar and Baekhyun gave in to the temptation of peeking in. Standing beside the bed in all half-naked glory was Chanyeol. He was slathering body lotion and wiggling his body while singing the song.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fallin' into the bed</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why would we ever do somethin' instead of</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fallin' into the bed right now? Yeah</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Imma break you off, let me be your motivation</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To stay and give it tonight</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun stood mesmerized watching Chanyeol prancing around his room, grooving to the song.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He makes a hoe anthem sound so innocent, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought fondly</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When the performance was over, Baekhyun tiptoed back to his room. He didn’t want to get caught and suffering Kyungsoo’s wrath was the last thing he wanted. Before closing his door, he saw a figure walking towards Junmyeon’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lay.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What in the world is Lay doing in his room? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Baekhyun rubbed his eyes and blinked several times to clear his vision. It was indeed Lay who walked into Junmyeon’s room. He was too tired to snoop around, so he opted to go to sleep instead. He could investigate the next day.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> On the day of the festival, Baekhyun changed his resolve and decided to join the fun. Jongin had asked Sehun out, hence Baekhyun had to go all by himself, not that he was complaining. He could maybe see his baby boy and drool from afar. Sigh!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The festival was in full swing. The mouth-watering scents from the food stalls dizzied Baekhyun’s senses; it’d been a while since he last attended a festival. He had been to parties- plenty of them but this festival felt cozier. He looked around to find a certain tall puppy but found Sehun and Jongin instead. They were having ice cream and Sehun was giggling at something Jongin had said. He didn’t want to interrupt their quality time, so he wandered around sinking in the beautifully decorated stalls, yummy food, and happy people. Baekhyun didn’t know if he fit in, he was reluctant to admit his yearning to become a part of the community, but his ego refused to admit that. Maybe he needed a little more time. Besides, there was nothing holding him back here. It still felt like a punishment no matter how easily he was getting fitting to his farm life by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just a little farther away stood Chanyeol in all his glory. He was wearing a fluffy turquoise sweater and black fitted jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If God decides to send me to hell for staring at that gorgeous piece of cake, I shall happily accept my punishment.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A smitten Baekhyun walked over to Chanyeol. The said boy was talking to Junmyeon, eyes crinkling and pearly white teeth on full display – something Baekhyun will never get.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey”, Baekhyun greeted the duo awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baekhyun! I didn’t know you were coming,” Junmyeon was surprised to see Baekhyun since the latter kept turning down Junmyeon’s invitation to the festival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I changed my mind” Baekhyun said sheepishly and looked at Chanyeol. The tall guy didn’t look annoyed for once. He had a small smile on his face and greeted Baekhyun with an almost inaudible “hello”. No blushing smiles or sparkling eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Junmyeon, Chanyeol!” a voice, that sounded like Kris called from behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Kris!” Junmyeon hugged his friend. Chanyeol looked confused, face devoid of any emotions and was staring at someone beside Kris. Baekhyun got his answer soon enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meet my girlfriend, Victoria!” Kris beamed. Victoria was a lovely woman with jet black hair and a pleasant face. “She just landed in Korea and insisted I take her to the festival,” Kris added. Chanyeol looked like he was going to pass out. Baekhyun saw tears forming in the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall but somehow Chanyeol held it in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Chanyeol? You don’t look so good,” Junmyeon was concerned at how the happy virus transformed into a sad puppy in a matter of seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Chanyeol immediately replied probably realizing how everyone’s eyes were trained on him. And throughout the conversation, Chanyeol plastered a fake smile on his face which Baekhyun noticed but didn’t know what to do about it. The group moved onto an area where music was playing and couples were dancing. Baekhyun excused himself to grab a drink and wondered if Chanyeol was gravely affected by Kris’s girlfriend.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Didn’t he know about her before? Was this the first time Kris brought his girlfriend over? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Baekhyun’s head was swimming with questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group was not there anymore. Baekhyun found Kris and Victoria dancing along with the music, Junmyeon talking to some other attendees. But his eyes were searching for a turquoise sweater.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol looked withdrawn, eyes forlorn, hopping towards Kris from time to time. He was pouting as if his favorite toy was forced out of his hands and plundered mercilessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tsk. Tsk</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Honestly, Baekhyun didn’t want to give a damn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But who was he kidding? His heart was soft for Chanyeol, his whole existence ached for Chanyeol’s attention. He wanted to love and take care of that giant baby. Yes, he did give him a hard time but Baekhyun’s heart had already betrayed him and was at Chanyeol’s feet to be stepped and trampled on. Jongdae would scoff at his pathetic plight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He suddenly caught something glistening on Chanyeol’s face. His heart clenched at the sight. He was frustrated with himself for holding back so much. But what if Chanyeol runs away from him like always?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, instead of standing there like a lone fucker, why don’t you go over to Chanyeol and talk to him?” Sehun appeared by Baekhyun’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sehun, you know he hates me. My presence is just gonna worsen his mood,” Baekhyun sighed dejectedly. He has been sighing way too much after coming to the farm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sigh!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baekhyun, if there’s anyone in this world who can woo even a street cat, that’s you. You’ve had people fall for your charms left, right and center,” Sehun tried to encourage his downtrodden best friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun rolled his eyes but went back to staring at the lonely figure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chanyeol’s heart is not for yours to break. But you can be a good friend, you know?” Sehun suggested. “Get him to talk to you. He looks like he needs someone right now”, he added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun pondered over what to say and tentatively walked towards the boy. Before he could get a word out of his mouth, Chanyeol beat him to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t wanna talk to anyone right now. Please leave me alone,” and looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun knew it was going to be hard, but he was not the one to give up. He genuinely cared for Chanyeol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I saw Lay go to Junmyeon’s room the other day,” Baekhyun said trying to strike up a conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s new about it?” Chanyeol replied still sulking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, ‘what’s new’? Are they fucking?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What else do you expect husbands to do? Read the bible together?” Chanyeol said sarcastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, for starters, I didn’t know they were married.” Baekhyun was still digesting facts so, Chanyeol’s sarcasm was left unattended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you paid attention to people around you instead of trying to get into their pants perhaps you would be knowing much more!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-” Baekhyun held himself back. His plan was to get the boy talk, not to drive him further away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, I didn’t mean to annoy you. I saw you standing alone, looking like a hurt puppy. I couldn’t help but come over to you to see if you were okay,” Baekhyun explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First of all, I’m not a puppy. I don’t need your help. I’m fine by myself. Thank you,” he spat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re real mouthy when you’re angry. This is the longest you’ve talked to me ever since I kissed you,” he blurted and immediately regretted it. But that quickly vanished when he saw pink color dusting Chanyeol’s cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tha- that’s because you’re an asshole,” the tall boy fumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know,” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “I may not know the pain of unrequited feelings, but I know that it’s not worth losing your head over,” he said after a moment of silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how would you know that if you’ve never been in love?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My friends tell me I give good advises so I’m giving you one for free. Perks of a first customer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t advises supposed to be free though?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope. I only give free advice to my friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol pursed his lips and contemplated Baekhyun’s words for a few minutes. “And what if I need more advice? Do I have to pay?” he asked pouting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need your advice anyway. I’m doing fine without it,” Chanyeol grumbled and walked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun heaved a sigh and leaned against the wall Chanyeol had previously occupied. Baekhyun replayed their conversation in his head and wondered what could’ve been said right to make the taller boy stay. He was always on top of the game when it came to picking up both boys and girls and he had never been a boring, muddling mess before. He was too caught up in his thoughts, he almost missed the soft “Hey” from beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Baekhyun looked towards the sound of the voice and saw Chanyeol looking at him sheepishly, scratching his nape with his sweater paws.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said…um, do you wanna be friends?” Chanyeol repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? For you to kick me in the balls again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damnit Baekhyun! You’re gonna scare him away. AGAIN!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no. I- I mean, I will if you touch me inappropriately.” Chanyeol said looking determined. “But, now I need advice. But I won’t pay you. You said, you give free advice to friends. So…will you be my friend?” the boy asked, voice soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun’s heart soared and he would’ve sealed Chanyeol’s request with a kiss. But that would cost his balls.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Totally worth it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t want to take a chance. God’s been merciful to have sent Chanyeol running back to him and he was not going to ruin the one opportunity to befriend him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. But on one condition.” The smaller of the two said holding up his index finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol raised his eyebrows in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll take me around the festival tonight and let me treat you to dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun nodded firmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol kept his promise and showed Baekhyun around the place. They stopped by the stalls to play games and Baekhyun observed how easy it was to get along with the boy. The conversation seemed to flow endlessly and neither of the two had to make any effort. It was the first time Baekhyun was able to talk to someone without pretenses and it was a revelation. And every time Chanyeol talked about his work so passionately, Baekhyun melted under his twinkling eyes and dazzling smile. It was as if he was in a trance and nobody could shake him out of it. He was whipped like cream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>During dinner, Chanyeol grew quiet. Baekhyun sensed something coming, so he let the boy take his time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I liked Kris. And I thought he-” Chanyeol gulped, “- he …I didn’t know he was straight,” he managed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun felt pity for the boy. Chanyeol’s love-sick puppy behavior around Kris wasn’t hard to miss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you heart-broken?” Baekhyun asked, curious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no.” he stuttered. “Disappointed, maybe? I’ve liked him for a while now,” Chanyeol admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be fine. I’m sure you’ll get over him in no time,” Baekhyun announced confidently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol’s eyebrows scrunched in disbelief. “That’s it? That’s your advice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun could’ve said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>You deserve better </span>
  </em>
  <span>or</span>
  <em>
    <span> You need to see your worth</span>
  </em>
  <span> and all that cliché stuff but Baekhyun wasn’t sure if his words would be misconstrued as flirty advances again. So, he decided to help Chanyeol get over Kris through his actions. He was going to be a good friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ugh! How long am I gonna keep up this “friendly” act? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Baekhyun groaned internally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From that day on, Baekhyun stuck to Chanyeol like glue. He made breakfast for the boy (which he later realized had too much salt and Chanyeol swallowed it all just to be polite), did his best to do his chores right, and eliminated any chances that would leave Chanyeol alone with his thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol was always running about in the farm occupied with something or the other and it exhausted Baekhyun to the bone following him around. It was driving him crazy because, at one point, he lost the giant. After an hour of running around panicking, he found Chanyeol behind a haystack cuddling with a kitten. And he had the audacity to “</span>
  <em>
    <span>meow?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” upon seeing Baekhyun.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahhhh! Stop biting me, Baekhyun!” Sehun yelled flipping the man off his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I don’t bite you, I’ll end up biting Chanyeol and that’s not good. We just called a truce and I can’t trample over my promise so soon!” Baekhyun whined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re 28, Baekhyun. And you haven’t still learned to keep your horny ass in your pants!” Sehun chastised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Horny ass? I’m far from horny, Sehun. When I say I wanna bite Chanyeol, I mean I wanna knead him into a dough, bake him in the oven till light brown, sprinkle sugar on top and EAT HIM UP! I’ve never seen anyone as adorable as him. And I’m not even into fluffy things. He has bewitched me!” Baekhyun shrieked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how is that a reason to bite me, you jackass?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You’d rather get bitten by Kai then?” Baekhyun teased Sehun while getting back on his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun flushed in embarrassment and mumbled, “I don’t know what you mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you DO wanna get bitten by Kai!” he announced obnoxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Baekhyun! I hope a horse knocks off your teeth tomorrow!” Sehun walked over to the counter of the shop fuming and grumbling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that’s how Sehun found himself being chased around by a teething Baekhyun every day.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun woke up in a good mood the next day. After a quick breakfast, he visited the cows to feed them. He was surprisingly getting good at the job and alarmingly getting used to it. But no matter, he began feeding grass to the animals while singing songs.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you baby and if it's quite all right,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I need you baby to warm the lonely nights</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And at one point, his mind drifted to Chanyeol, which drove him to sing even louder.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you baby trust in me when I say</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh pretty baby don't bring me down I pray</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh pretty baby now that I found you, stay</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The cows didn’t seem to mind as Baekhyun was twirling around them like he was in a ballroom. But the man jerked to a halt when he heard giggles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let me stop you. The cows clearly enjoyed the show. So, did I,” Chanyeol said, trying very hard to suppress his laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Baekhyun was embarrassed, he didn’t show. Instead, he held out his hand and said, “Then join me, my beautiful lad,” for Chanyeol who astonishingly accepted it in a heart’s beat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The duo goofed around for a while before serenading the cows with more songs. Baekhyun noticed every single detail about Chanyeol- the little nose scrunch while laughing, the brightness of his eyes against sunlight, the pout in his lips whenever he talked and his habit of twiddling with his fingers when he’s worried. Baekhyun was going to miss him the most when he leaves. He hoped Chanyeol would miss him too.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After their energy drained out, they sat on the ground panting for breath. And for the first time, Baekhyun realized that Chanyeol hadn’t talked about Kris in a while. As if Chanyeol was reading his thoughts, the boy said, “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun didn’t say anything. He urged the boy to continue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve gotten over Kris. I don’t know how but I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you did,” Baekhyun replied, almost relieved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But whoever said you’re good at giving advice is lying. You’re horrible at it, Baekhyun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, I’ve receipts to prove my credibility at the job, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lies,” Chanyeol deadpanned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The truth is, you didn’t need any advice. You’re a big boy who is capable of dealing with unrequited infatuations.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol opened his mouth to protest but immediately closed, deciphering Baekhyun’s words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re leaving in a week, aren’t you?” Chanyeol asked after a pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I get to finally go back to my King-sized bed and jacuzzi. Ah, heaven!” Baekhyun sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol looked somewhat offended. “What do you mean? You think this place is horrible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Baekhyun replied instantly. “I mean, I miss home. And staying here has been a real learning experience. The country air sure is refreshing,” he added, in a poor attempt to pacify the tall boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol didn’t say anything after that.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them brought up the topic again and went about their tasks like every other day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun was feeling increasingly anxious and excited by the day. Anxious at leaving Chanyeol and excited about going home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you gonna tell Chanyeol how you feel then?” Sehun asked a sulky Baekhyun a day before his departure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got something good going on now, you know. I’m afraid my selfishness might ruin that one thing I had worked so hard to earn.” Baekhyun confessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, look at you. You look miserable! This is not the Baekhyun I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know right? I legit fell for a country bumpkin” Baekhyun admitted, incredulously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say “country bumpkin” like it’s derogatory. Should I be offended?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Sehun. You know I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just not used to unrequited love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Serves you right. You’ve broken too many hearts. It’s fair you feel the pain at least once.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you trying to comfort me or condemn me?” Baekhyun looked befuddled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun sighed in defeat and moved closer to his best friend. “I think you should tell him. If he rejects you, take it in stride. You’re leaving anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what if he says yes?” Baekhyun interjected. “You know long-distance relationships don’t work. And I don’t want to put him through that. He deserves to be cherished and loved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun nodded in understanding and wrapped his friend in a hug. “I understand. Maybe it’s for the best.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If someone had asked Baekhyun if he liked to live on a farm a few months ago, he would’ve scoffed at their faces. But the farm life had changed him, and a wave of nostalgia washed over him as he was standing before the house waiting for the cab to arrive. Over the period of his stay, even Kyungsoo had warmed up to him, appreciating his efforts every now and then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sehun was with him since morning and everybody else joined soon after. As they were waiting by the front door, he saw Chanyeol carrying his suitcase, grunting and panting with every step. Baekhyun dashed to the boy and upbraided him for carrying it all by himself. Chanyeol smiled sheepishly but insisted on helping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol started. “Thanks for all the help,” he said awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not gonna lie, I truly enjoyed being here. Even though it all started as a punishment,” Baekhyun joked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol chuckled but looked equally nervous. Like, he wanted to say something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baekhyun, I wanted to tell you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baekhyun, the cab’s here,” Suho interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol, “You were saying something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… safe journey, Baekhyun. That’s all I wanted to say,” Chanyeol replied, twiddling his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun smiled in return albeit dejectedly. “Sure. Thanks, Chanyeol. Take care!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And before he knew it, Baekhyun had gangly limbs all over, crushing him into a tight hug. It was as if air got knocked out of his lungs. Because Chanyeol </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>initiated any physical contacts and the gesture warmed his heart more than it should. Baekhyun returned the hug and they stayed like that for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be late, Baekhyun,” Suho reiterated, effectively breaking the two from the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun took one last look at the boy he gave his heart to and proceeded to the cab.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he waved until the farmhouse and its people disappeared from his vision.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>Three months later</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun thought that upon return, he would go back to his old ways. But he soon lost interest in the high life, which effectively led him to work alongside his father in the business.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there wasn’t a day where he did not think about Chanyeol. Nobody grabbed his attention the way he did. With him, it was more than just physical attraction. Every second Baekhyun spent around Chanyeol made him want to protect the boy. And that feeling was exclusive for the tall boy alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun wondered if Chanyeol missed him the way he did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No Dae, I can’t make it to the party tonight,” Baekhyun told Jongdae over the phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, the countryside has certainly changed you!” Jongdae said in mock disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut it, asshole. You have fun. I’ll talk to you later okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just when Baekhyun hung up on his friend, his cellphone slipped and fell on the floor. And when he bent down to get it, he noticed a piece of paper under the bed. He retrieved it to inspect the contents. He almost choked on air, when he recognized the familiar handwriting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I have never been so infuriated in my life until you came.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I have never been so happier in my life until you came.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think I really like you, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span><strike>pervert</strike> </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Baekhyun.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And there was a number scribbled hastily at the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun banged his head against the wall for missing the note all this time. It might have fallen off his suitcase while he was taking out his stuff. And Chanyeol must’ve put the note inside the luggage before carrying it down that day!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun immediately fished out his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, I’ve a request!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun stretched his back after stepping out of the car. The farmhouse looked livelier than ever and Baekhyun couldn’t wait to see everyone. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baekhyun!” Junmyeon’s face greeted him at the front door. “Why do I feel that you didn’t come back because you missed the farmhouse?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun cringed but nodded, confirming Junmyeon’s suspicions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s out at the back,” Junmyeon offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does he know I’m here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I haven’t told him. But I’d be careful if I were you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did something happen?” Baekhyun felt agitated. He hoped Chanyeol didn’t score a boyfriend in three months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll see for yourself,” the man winked and patted Baekhyun’s back encouragingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun wasted no time and sprinted to the backyard. It was easy to spot the tall figure. He was hunched up against the stable and talking to the horses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun’s heart was thundering against his chest at the sight of Chanyeol and he was afraid he’d pass out due to happiness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chanyeol!” he called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The said boy froze in place and slowly turned around to face Baekhyun. His jaw dropped upon seeing him and took tentative steps towards the man. He looked every bit beautiful since the last time Baekhyun had seen him and predicted an incoming smooch of victory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Chanyeol stopped in his tracks and tilted his head to inspect Baekhyun from head to toe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- Is that you, Baekhyun?” he asked, eyes wide in recognition and a usual pout forming on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brimming with confidence, Baekhyun said arms spread out, “Yes baby. Come to daddy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun did not see it coming when Chanyeol bent down to collect pebbles. Soon, it was showering pebbles on Baekhyun with Chanyeol screaming, “I WROTE THAT NOTE THREE MONTHS AGO! DO YOU KNOW WHAT A NERVOUS WRECK I’VE BEEN ALL THIS TIME?! COULDN’T YOU HAVE CALLED ATLEAST ONCE, YOU ASSHOLE! I HATE YOU!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he ran out of pebbles, he reached for the next item in the vicinity – chopped wood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chanyeol! What the fuck? I’ll die!! Hold it, my love! Let me explain!” Baekhyun frantically tried to reason with his agitated puppy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ ‘My love’? My ass, Baekhyun! You don’t get to call me that!” Chanyeol retorted while picking up a twig and hurling it at Baekhyun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sugar, I’ve a legitimate reason, I swear! Hear me out, little pup!” he pleaded simultaneously dodging the incoming attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Chanyeol was out of weapons, he charged at Baekhyun and started punching with his fists. Even though it was painful, Baekhyun was glad to see Chanyeol in his natural habitat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know how much I’ve missed you?” he asked Chanyeol in between his attacks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Asks the man who didn’t respond to me for three fucking months!” Chanyeol yapped angrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun suddenly held his two hands in place and looked at the boy straight in the eye. His gaze softened upon seeing the worried boy and said, “I’m truly sorry, Yeollie. It was my fault and I’m willing to do anything and everything to make it up to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol seemed to buy that. “I was scared, you know? I thought you didn’t like me when I didn’t hear from you,” he said weakly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honey, you had me at your feet since the first day I met you. And eventually, I fell in love with you. But I stayed away. Do you want to know why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol nodded, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I did not want to hurt you. I’d never felt the way I did for you in my whole life. But I knew I’d be leaving and did not want to hurt you for my selfish reasons,” Baekhyun explained calmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When are you leaving?” Chanyeol still looked miserable and upset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that all you’re gonna ask?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to leave anyway. So, what’s the point?” Chanyeol yanked his hands away from Baekhyun’s and turned around to walk away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m staying,” Baekhyun said promptly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Chanyeol stopped walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m back for good. I’m taking over my father’s business here in Korea, Chanyeol.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun heard a sniff and his heart sank. He inched closer towards Chanyeol and wrapped his arms around the boy. He was so big, yet so small. And he was only Baekhyun’s to love and protect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chanyeol leaned it to the touch and let himself cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, why are you crying? Aren’t I here already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that opened Chanyeol’s floodgate of emotions and the boy started to bawl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you a lot, Baekhyun. I really do,” Chanyeol confessed in between hiccups.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Baekhyun chuckled at his lover’s response and hugged him tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew it was going to take a while for Chanyeol to finally spell the four-letter words. And Baekhyun was alright with that. He was going to work hard to earn those words. He was ready to treat him right. He was willing to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because he was finally home.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
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